sPower, a renewable energy provider, and Camborne Capital, a UK solar developer, announced that all three of their UK solar PV projects have achieved commercialization in time to qualify for the UK renewable obligation certificate (ROC) subsidy.
The utility-scale projects, totaling 28.5MW, were connected to the UK grid well ahead of the March 31, 2015 deadline for 1.4 ROC accreditation. Located in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, the facilities were built by Oskomera and used TrinaSolar panels across all three sites.
Declan Mackle, CEO of Camborne Energy Group commented, "This is a great result and represents another significant investment for the region. We are justifiably proud of our extremely professional team for delivering these projects smoothly and ahead of schedule."
"The projects, which are sPower's first assets outside the US, bring our generating capacity in the UK to more than 30MW. We are delighted to have worked with Camborne, Oskomera and TrinaSolar to deliver such high-quality, clean energy facilities," said Ryan Creamer, sPower CEO.
sPower's UK solar portfolio will produce 33,679,664 kWh annually -- the equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 54,000 barrels of oil consumed each year
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GE Energy Financial Services and Pacifico Energy, a subsidiary of Virginia Solar Group, will jointly invest equity in a 96.2 MW (DC) PV solar plant, with GE Energy Financial Services’ commitment totaling ¥7.5 billion. The PV plant will be located in Hosoe on Kyushu Island, Prefecture of Miyazaki. A ¥35 billion term loan facility with a 22-year tenor – led by The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. as the sole and exclusive mandated lead arranger – was provided on a non–recourse project finance basis with a syndicate of 12 Japanese financial institutions. Additional transaction details have not been disclosed.
Pacifico Energy is the project developer managing construction and operations of Hosoe, which is being built on 140 hectares of land that was originally intended for a golf course. Once complete, it will be the largest solar power plant on Kyushu Island and consist of approximately 300,000 PV modules supplied by Trina Solar. Toyo Engineering Corporation is the construction company on the project, and Asahi Dengyo is providing operations and maintenance services. In addition to capital, GE is supplying the project with 50 units of 1.26MW Brilliant solar inverters, which eliminate the need for an intermediate transformer, resulting in higher conversion efficiency and superior grid performance.
Hosoe is expected to begin commercial operations in the spring of 2018 and will sell its power to Kyushu Electric Power Company under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
By 2020, Japan aims to have 20% of its energy generated from renewable power sources, a goal which is supported by the country’s regulatory policies and feed-in tariff. Sushil Verma, a managing director and head of Asia Pacific at GE Energy Financial Services, notes that Hosoe is the third transaction between GE Energy Financial Services and Pacifico Energy that contributes to the country’s renewable energy goals.
“We aim to continue helping Japan achieve a diversified power mix. Working with reliable and regional counterparties supports our international expansion and renewable energy investment commitments,” Verma says.
Hosoe is the fourth Japan solar project in which GE Energy Financial Services has invested since last May. Last year, the company invested in Pacifico Energy’s Kumenan and Mimasaka Musashi solar projects in May and December respectively, and in September, the GE unit helped finance Japan’s largest solar project, which is being built in Setouchi City.
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When we were renovating our kitchen, I searched high and low for any information I could find on Ikea kitchens. The results were few and far between. We did end up with an Ikea kitchen (which we love), but I'd like to shed more light on Ikea kitchen renovations from the perspective of other real-life homeowners. It's something I wish we would have had access to when we were considering Ikea for our own kitchen remodel. Plus, it's fun to see how others use Ikea to suit their personal style and needs in the kitchen. I hope you find these posts helpful and inspiring — whether you ultimately end up with an Ikea kitchen or not. Enjoy!
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SPI China (HK) Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Solar Power, Inc. (SPI), has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement to acquire 80% of the outstanding capital stock of Solar Juice Pty Ltd (Solar Juice) in Australia. Solar Juice is a solar PV wholesale distribution platform.
Under the terms of the share purchase agreement, SPI will acquire from entities controlled by Solar Juice's shareholders 80% of the outstanding capital stock of Solar Juice for an aggregate consideration of approximately $25.5 million in SPI common stock. This transaction is subject to several customary closing conditions.
Andrew Burgess, co-founder of Solar Juice, commented, "We have spent over 5 years building Solar Juice into the leading PV wholesale distribution business in Australia. Given the huge potential we see in the Australia PV market in the coming years, we felt the timing was right for Solar Juice to seek additional resources to capture this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We think we have found the ideal partner in SPI, which has demonstrated a remarkable track record of growth since last year.
Australia is one of the progressing solar markets with more than 3 GW of cumulative installed PV capacity, including more than 750 MW installed during 2014, dominated by the residential segment in recent years. However, the large commercial segment in Australia almost doubled in size in 2013, and that other significant opportunities exist in large-scale solar project developments, the provision of engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services and a rapidly expanding market for power purchase agreements (PPAs).
"We have been evaluating for some time the best entry point into the very promising Australia market, and we are confident this transaction gives SPI the strongest local platform to address this tremendous market opportunity,” said Xiaofeng Peng, Chairman of SPI. “We feel this is truly a win-win arrangement for both companies, and we look forward to working closely with our new partners and shareholders at Solar Juice."
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Tiny homes are becoming more and more popular, and new design ideas seem to pop up every other day. We’ve seen some pretty impressive micro dwellings from all over the world, but this miniature masterpiece from Tucson Arizona is officially the teensiest house on Earth – so small in fact that it is almost impossible to fit inside. Measuring a mere 2′ long by 2′ wide, the 4 square foot home is approximately the size of person, but thanks to a bit of ingenuity and space-saving design principles, it has everything its owner, 32-year-old Randall Walker, could possibly need.
Since Randall spends most his time at his computer, his main needs revolve around a comfortable place to write, and a storehouse for convenience foods. His workstation is the central hub of the home – in fact it is the only thing in the house. A 2 foot long standing desk runs the entire length of one wall – with just enough space for a laptop computer, and the cupboards flanking it above and below hide a mini fridge and snacks. The other cupboards contain a few changes of clothes and some of his research materials. At 6’3″, he can reach everything he could possibly need just by stretching around while standing at his desk. Since Randall appreciates the health benefits of standing while working, he doesn’t miss being able to sit down.
The 1′ x 1′ closet in one corner is actually a washroom enclosure, which was inspired by airplane lavatories: a small sink (the only one in the house) tucks partly into the wall behind the toilet, and a showerhead hangs from the ceiling. A cistern behind the building collects rainwater, and solar thermal and photovoltaic panels on the roof and south-facing walls provide enough electricity to run his computer, and heat enough water for a weekly scrub. Greywater from showers runs straight into Randall’s grandmother’s garden next door, so he’s forbidden to use soap or shampoo in case they damage her zucchinis.
The best part about Randall’s new home is the fact that it is mobile. With no floor and no foundation attaching it to the ground, he can literally pick it up and walk around with the house, moving it from location to location, as the mood suits him. It’s also a great form of exercise, as the house is fairly heavy, at 80 pounds.
This project came about when Randall was looking for a new place to live as he completed his thesis. Having been kicked out of his girlfriend’s apartment, he was looking for low-cost housing close to his university, but didn’t want to deal with housemates. The solution presented itself at a family dinner: he could build a tiny home at the back of the shared driveway between his parents’ house and his grandparents’. After plans were drawn, the family put out the call to friends, neighbors, and co-workers for building supply donations, and managed to build the entire home for a scant $200 investment.
Randall’s tiny house has been constructed mostly from those donated materials, with some clever up-cycling solutions like using empty egg cartons nestled between the walls as sound-dampeners. Rather than wasting space with a bed, which would only be used on the rare occasions when Randall doesn’t fall asleep at his desk, there are large hooks installed in opposite corners of the room, from which he hangs a “vertical hammock” when he needs to rest. “There’s a reason why people around the world sleep in hammocks”, he says. “They’re incredibly comfortable, and basically rock you to sleep like a baby.”
Randall is set to complete his PhD in Linguistic Anthropology in 2016, so he has many hours of work ahead of him. Once he achieves his doctorate, he’ll have a cheap place to live while he tries to pay off his crippling student debt, as well as the $200 he borrowed from his little sister to pay for his tiny home.
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Innovation sometimes strikes from the least likely places, and this concept is proof of this statement. The Grama, by Portuguese luxury car company Tolos, is a hydrogen-powered vehicle that compliments its sleek design with a brand new fueling solution. Whereas most hydrogen vehicles face the problem of a lack of fueling stations, the Grama solves this by turning water into hydrogen thanks to its unique green roof!
The fully electric vehicle is capable of achieving a speedy 0 to 60mph in 5.5 seconds. It is fully powered by hydrogen and capable of being driven for around 60 miles on a single tank. And while the car is absolutely smashing looking, nothing can truly outmatch the brilliance that is their Telhado Verde system.
The Telhado Verde system (green roof in portuguese) was developed in conjunction with German company KHIAV (they of the Core Hydraulic Integrated Arboury Panel). The marvelous development comprises a green roof equipped with a membrane filtering system that is capable of collecting rainwater and moisture from the air and turning it into hydrogen, which is used to power the vehicle.
The car comes equipped with a myriad of technologies to maximize its environmental performance. Solar panels on the bottom of the vehicle are used to collect energy from the sunlight reflected off the highway. Wind turbines powered by the car’s air conditioning system provide additional electricity to power the right side directional light indicator found in the dashboard. Needless to say the car impresses, and rightly so. Oh, and as you would expect, the green roof can filter water (in a manner similar to that of the Mazda Kiyora) and it can be used grow your own herbs.
Where other car manufacturers try to squeeze power through a few paltry solar panels or wind turbines, true sustainability will only be achieved by a complete integration of all available technologies. Needless to say, the Grama vehicle is truly one of a kind.
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It’s been just three months since the Burj Khalifa took the title of “world’s tallest building”, and already the shifting sands of Dubai have spawned a successor! A paragon of modern architecture, the iconic ICARUS tower is currently soaring towards the sky to become the next “World’s Tallest Building”. Designed by Daedalus Architects, the timeless skyscraper blends seamlessly into its surrounding environment and harnesses a nearly inexhaustible resource to provide for 100% of it’s energy needs: human labor.
An unforgettable structure sure to inspire emotion, the ICARUS tower is currently aiming for LEED Platinum certification. The entire surface of the building’s envelope is decked out in a new breed of hyper-efficient solar cells and the roof features a sophisticated rainwater catchment system that will harvest water from the region’s frequent downpours.
Icarus engine room schematic
The skyscraper is expected to create thousands of new construction jobs, many of which will continue as indentured employment opportunities in the building’s engine room. The skyscraper’s on-site power plant is powered a sophisticated system of levers, pulleys and counterbalances that produce enough human-generated kinetic energy to illuminate the structure’s 100,000,000 LEDs.
Celebrated lead architect Howard Roark describes the structure as “a pearl shining amid the desert sands… a diamond in the rough.” When questioned about the building’s inspiration he states: “Before you can do things for people, you must be the kind of man who can get things done. But to get things done, you must love the doing, not the people! Your own work, not any possible object of your charity. I’ll be glad if men who need it find a better method of living in the house I built, but that’s not the motive of my work, nor my reason, nor my reward! My reward, my purpose, my life, is the work itself – my work done my way! Nothing else matters to me!”
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When we first spotted this crazy picture of a Prius driver hitching a free energy ride on San Francisco’s MUNI power lines, we couldn’t believe it! Equipped with a giant trolley pole, the Franken-Prius hacks into the same overhead electrical system that propels the city’s buses, getting free power from San Francisco‘s public transportation infrastructure.
The Bold Italic caught up with Jon, the creator of the hacked Prius get-up. Jon says that siphoning electricity off the well-connected MUNI lines powers his car just about anywhere in the city, “except they get pretty pissed when I run on the light-rail lines on 3rd Street.” Since the Prius only uses a fraction of the power delivered to a regular city bus, Jon distributes the rest of the excess power to “a whole lot of resistors, full-time headlights, and a kick-ass stereo system.” Jon’s tricked-out Prius even has a hilarious license plate that reads: “MUNI PWR.”
The Franken-Prius is certainly inspiring – it reminds us of the improbable design concepts created in architecture contests like the Evolo Skyscraper Competitions, which serve to stimulate debate and discussion. Hopefully other hackers will be inspired by Jon’s “MUNI-fied” Prius and will start chipping away on their own models—we’d love to see it!
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